While the chatter of winter not being as terrible as last year made its way around Boreas, one wolf disagreed. As soon as the chill had set in, her petite body was always shivering, no matter how close to the fire she'd get. Ever since agreeing to stay as a guest with Valhalla, there was always more than enough food available as well. But, her slim frame refused to put on the weight. She was short with most of her height in her legs which helped keep the dew and frost off of her belly as she made her way through tall grass. The few wolves she felt comfortable being social with had told her of a place way south that stayed warm like summer when Boreas was in full swing of winter. The walk was far and took several days through ravines, valleys, and forests. Careful to keep herself discreet and out of sight, Audra was in no rush to run into trouble. Tied securely around her neck, a decent-sized pouch bounced against her chest with its faded leather full of dried and some fresh herbs. Always prepared and ready for the worst, her weariness lurked at the edges of her honey-brown eyes. Keeping up a brisk pace so the pads of her paws wouldn't freeze, she kept her ears perked. How much farther could it really be? Toward the end of her journey, she had crossed a bridge made of sparkling sand and on the other side, she saw land looming along the horizon. Curious and eager to leave the bristling winds behind her, she made her way. Not far on the other end of the bridge, a small grove of trees stood before her. Above her, the sun beat down with a warmth she had missed. Instantly, a smile spread over her face as she plopped down beside a particularly large trunk. All around, critters zipped through branches, and birds sang sweet songs. So this is where they went for winter. Resting her chin upon her paws, she let her body adjust to the slightly sweltering temperatures. Curled up and ready for a nap, she figured now was a good time to rest before moving on to see what else lie in this strange new world.

It was a warm, sunny day, and Avantika was off looking for stuff to do. There wasn't always much to do in the Hallows. She could always pace the borders, but she did that so often that it got boring quick. There was never much to defend against lately. Of course, she was happy about that, but sometimes she wanted to do something significant for her pack.

She happened to meet the same spot she had had that painting date with Cosette, and she gazed around at the trees. Not far away was a woman curled up like she was napping. Avantika didn't want to disturb her, but she did pad quietly a bit closer. She was pretty, with an earthy pelt and soft-looking fur. Small and light, too. The sort of build that made her look vulnerable. Avantika didn't want her to get attacked, so she sat and waited. But it would be creepy to be there if she wasn't actually asleep, so she asked softly, "Hey, are you sleeping?"

"Speech"

Dozing off, her breathing evened out as dreams of valleys full of marigold and lavender filled her head. Twitching occasionally, she was left alone until a tall, long-legged girl approached. Undisturbed for the moment, she didn't wake right away. Indeed vulnerable, Audra was like a snack open to anyone who wished to take. The soft voice of the girl made her ears turn quickly and in her dreams, a shadowy figure lurked nearby. Frightened by the presence interrupting her peace, her eyes flew open in an instant. The bright light made her squint as her expression folded into confusion. Where was she again? Who was this sitting next to her? Panic set in as she scrambled up to her paws. A quiet gasp left her lips as she stumbled backward, tail tucked between her legs and up to her belly. Flattening her ears, she stared at the ashy and gingerbread-colored girl. Attempting to catch her breath, Audra backed into the tree she'd been napping next to. "H-hi, uh s-sorry if I'm in-intruding. I-it did, didn't smell l-like packs h-here," she mumbled, the words stuttered between tense lips. The girl in front of her was larger, but feminine and pretty, causing Audra to be slightly at a loss for words. Her heart slammed into her chest as she finally calmed down after a few more moments.

She seemingly startled the girl. She scrambled to her paws with a look of pure panic on her face and stumbled backward, backing away like Avantika was going to hurt her. She made a trembling introduction and apologized if she was intruding. Avantika wasn't used to being the confident, reassuring one in a situation, but she kind of had to be now. She remained sitting, not wanting to scare the girl more with standing up, and spoke gently. "Hey, hey, don't worry. You're not intruding. Not even close." Actually, the pack lands were only a quick trot over, but that didn't change the fact that this girl wasn't trespassing at all, and so the exact distance was irrelevant and would probably just make her more worried.

Was it time for introductions? Avantika was having trouble figuring out the exact amount of time she was supposed to look at those honey-brown eyes. "I'm Avantika," she said. "Who are you?"

"Speech"

Frozen with a small amount of fear, she wasn't sure what to do. Was this stranger going to attack her? Was she waiting for her to run? She had no idea that the girl's intentions were to protect her; she had no time to be asking questions. Expecting the other wolf to jump at her at any moment, a few seconds passed as the girl assured her she wasn't trespassing anywhere. The girl also didn't move from her sitting position. Confused and slightly embarrassed from her reaction, Audra's ears swept back as she glanced away. How could she act so foolishly? A frown creased her crinkled expression as she met the girl's gaze. The way the girl's striking blue eyes seemed to pierce through her soul made her swallow loudly. Avantika. That's a pretty name. The words sprang up in her head but her dry mouth refused to speak. Licking her lips in an anxious manner, Audra shook herself off briefly as she stepped away from the tree trunk's safety. "I-I'm sorry," the stumble of an apology came out first, her cheeks would have turned scarlet if russet and tan fur weren't covering them. "I-it's n-nice to meet you, Avantika," her voice was still hesitant, but nonetheless a soft chime like that of a fairytale princess. "M-my name's A-Audra." It was hard to spit the words out, but she finally managed. Her belly did flip flops as she too was unsure if she should stop staring at the other girl.

The girl glanced away but didn't move from where she stood. When she looked back, she frowned. Huh? Avantika was trying to comfort her. Why was she still upset? After a moment of observation, Avantika decided that she seemed better but still scared. That was okay. Being scared was nothing unfamiliar to her, although she didn't know whether the strategies she used to calm herself down would help with this stranger. So she decided just to try not to make things worse.

She could hear the girl swallow as she met her gaze, and she looked down herself. Her eyes were so soft and scared but still so wonderful to look at. She wondered what they'd look like smiling. That was her goal from that moment onward: make her smile from real joy at least once in this conversation. She was obviously anxious, but she stepped forward anyway, and Avantika admired that bravery. Until she realized that stepping forward meant that she was closer to those eyes and that body. Her pelt burned. "It's--it's nice to meet you too," she replied, now fiddling with her paws so she didn't look up so much and start staring. Her voice was such a nice, soft chime. She could listen to it all day.

"You smell like a pack, Audra." Avantika flushed again, wanting to fall through the ground and never climb her way back up. That wasn't awkward at all, she thought sarcastically. "Sorry--I mean... Where are you from?" It wouldn't be on Auster, since there were only two packs, and one Avantika was in and the other one she really, really hoped Audra wasn't a part of. Although it would explain why she was so nervous.

"Speech"

Electricity crackled between them making the sun overhead all too much. A dry wind rustled her coat and shifted the scents between them. She had no doubt now that Avantika was also part of a pack and it was no wonder she'd dreamed of shadowy figures. It must've been someone else her nose had originally scented. Nervous that she was perhaps breaking rules, she didn't know much about the packs in Boreas or this land either. Avantika appeared nice though and not intimidating. That was a factor Audra liked and her body began to relax. Once tensed muscles smoothed out as she shuffled her paws in the dirt. Breaking their staring contest so she could take a breath, she watched the dust swirl around her toes. Why in the world did it feel like her entire body was covered in static? Avantika's words brought her back to reality as she peeked a look back over to the other. Noticing that she too was staring at the ground, Audra almost giggled. She wondered what was on her mind. Unsure if she should stay standing or sit or do something with her body, her ears perked when Avantika mentioned that she smelled like a pack. Looking at her now with her honey eyes wide with light panic, she tensed again. Was it a bad thing? Were they not suppose to be talking to each other? Would she get in trouble? Worry creased her brow but it quickly passed when there was an apology and differently posed the question. Still nervous, Audra thought about her response as she hummed quietly. Releasing her tail from its tucked position, she finally decided on sitting with her small paws placed neatly beside each other. Even sitting, Avantika was bigger than her, but that didn't bother her much since most wolves were bigger than her anywhere she'd gone. Her eyes continued to flit between the charcoal girl's chocolate face and bright blue eyes and the dirt beneath her. "Uh w-well, y-yes and no. I-I'm not yet a part of the pack," she paused in her soft voice, eyes focusing on the other girl with gentle blinks. "Val-Valhalla is hosting me f-for the w-winter so I d-don't succumb to the weather or s-starve." The frown was back as she felt embarrassed to admit that she wasn't capable of living on her own. Being lonely was her least favorite thing to be so of course she had welcomed the help of Valhalla. Yet, a lot of wolves saw that as weakness. Worried and not wanting to talk about it anymore, she decided asking Avantika the same question would be better. "Y-you have a pack s-scent on you too. A-are you from a-around here? I-I've never been t-this far south be-before," she continued to stumble over her words as her cheeks flushed again. Maybe that was too forward. Gosh, I'm so stupid. Fretting over the simple things made her feel worse, but she hoped the Avantika would forgive her.

Audra hummed quietly for a moment before responding. Was there so much to think about? The hesitation only intrigued Avantika more as she waited for the answer. Now they were both sitting, which Avantika was glad for. It showed that the small, scared girl was becoming more comfortable. She was closer to getting that genuine smile. Audra answered soon enough, saying that she wasn't a true part of the pack called Valhalla, but they were hosting her and taking care of her. But she also frowned as she spoke. Was she ashamed? She didn't need to be. Different wolves had different strengths, and that's why it was best that they live in packs so they could all pool their strengths together and cover each others' weaknesses. But it looked like she wanted reassurance, so Avantika thought out a response and then said carefully, "I don't think it's bad to have people take care of you, you know? Like, my pack, the Hallows, they cared for me when I was younger, and now that I'm older and more skilled, I help protect them."

Did that sound right?

Audra returned her question. "Yeah, the Hallows is near here." She gestured with one paw. "Not far thataway." It was adorable how Audra stumbled over almost all of her words. Was she just generally nervous or--or did she like her back?

No, that was just wishful thinking.

"Speech"

Avantika's reassurance that it was okay for others to care for her nearly coaxed a sigh of relief. How could she possibly explain that she was abandoned by her original family for being weak? For being small and helpless? No, it was too soon to be telling someone her whole backstory. But, she nearly wanted to. Something in the gentle way the girl spoke to her made her want to say anything and everything. She wanted Avantika to know everything about her. This is so strange. Bewildered by her urge to spill her guts, she settled with a small nod of her chin. "I c-can't really protect an-anyone. I'm tr-training to be a healer." Slowly, her words were smoothing out as she became more comfortable with the other girl. Audra tried to look the girl over in a more secret manner this time. She did agree that Avantika's large, feminine frame would be perfect for protection. And something else? Her cheeks grew hot again as she quickly looked away, her eyes moving up to the treetops to distract herself. Her ear turned toward Avantika as her gaze moved toward where she pointed a paw. So she did live nearby. Glad that she hadn't actually trespassed over any borders, she wondered what the Hallows pack lands were like. "Th-this place really is pretty," she spoke quietly, gaining the courage to look back at Avantika. "I b-bet there are lots of herbs to gather around here." Audra's pouch felt heavy as she remembered that she didn't have room to gather anymore right now. Why am I even talking about this? Ugh. Feeling selfish, she wondered what Avantika liked to do. "E-enough about m-me. What d-do you like to do f-for fun?" Finally, after so many tense minutes that felt like a whirlwind swept through her entire being, a small smile tickled the edges of her lips. Her stammering hadn't disappeared, but she attributed it to her feeling more nervous than usual around the pretty wolf.

Audra said that she was training to be a healer and couldn't really protect anyone. Avantika didn't know anything about healing. She wouldn't be good at it anyway. While she liked to help people, she couldn't imagine keeping her head and thinking calmly and rationally in that sort of situation. She needed action to ground herself. Avantika normally and Avantika under pressure were very different wolves, and while Avantika normally might be able to do it, healing seemed like it would involve a lot of pressure. And way too much patience for her taste. All that to say, she respected that Audra was training to do something that Avantika couldn't. It was awesome.

Audra looked away suddenly and then looked back once Avantika pointed with her paw. Was she just inattentive? Avantika glanced up at where she'd been looking, just in case. Nothing.

'I b-bet there are lots of herbs to gather around here.' "I wouldn't have a clue. But we could look if you want to." She wanted to spend more time with Audra. They could talk more or just look at each other... Or--or maybe something a little more active? She flushed and looked down at her paws again. Why was she feeling this way? Audra probably didn't.

While Avantika wanted to know more about Audra, she also wanted the girl to like her. She could talk about herself for a little bit. "Well... I like sparring." She decided to give a little nugget of her past. "One of my adoptive brothers taught me how when I was a little kid who'd just joined the Hallows, and I--I don't know, I like being able to keep myself and my loved ones safe and that's the only way I know how."

"Speech"

Audra perked at the idea of being able to go looking around for plants. Not that it interested everyone, but it was something she enjoyed. "W-would you really?" Her eyes stayed on Avantika this time, taken aback that she offered to go with her. She doesn't seem like the plant type. Nervous, but interested in wanting to spend more time with her, Audra hesitated again. "We, we don't have to," she added softly, shrugging her shoulders to brush off the disappointment she'd brought on herself. Why would anyone be interested in spending time with her anyway? She was just a small wolf who wasn't very useful. She was glad though that Avantika wanted to share more information about herself. Fighting back the urge to fold her ears down at the thought of fighting someone, she nodded her head again. Not that she understood why anyone would want to spar with someone, but she supposed it had to do with wanting to be tough. Pursing her lips, Audra kind of wanted to impress her. Maybe? Would Avantika like that? Why did it matter? "You sound so strong." The words left her mouth before she could stop herself. Her cheeks burned hot again as she looked down at her paws. "Uh, I m-mean, like the f-fighting type, ya know? I d-don't have much experience, b-but I've trained a bit in defense," Audra offered quickly, attempting to backpedal away from the compliment. The idea of being around someone who could protect her was appealing. She wouldn't ever have to be so worried about being in danger anymore. Plus, Avantika seemed nice and pretty. Flustered, she smiled sheepishly when she could finally bring her gaze back up to the other girl. Feeling all sorts of emotions she couldn't sort out, she wished her stomach would stop doing flips and twists. "Do y-you want to go for a w-walk?" Audra asked quickly, afraid that she possibly had ruined whatever this sparking tension was between them. Standing up quickly, she shook out her fur and looked ahead into the grove.

Audra answered with a soft hesitation that Avantika recognized. But she didn't exactly know what it meant, and it felt important to figure out what she was thinking. Did she want to go? Did she just not want to be rude and make Avantika do something she didn't want to do? She didn't need to worry. While plants weren't Avantika's thing, she liked learning new things. You never knew when some random bit of knowledge would be useful. And... "I'd love to spend more time with you," she said softly, surprising herself with her own boldness. She wanted to see that adorable nervous look on Audra's face again.

But it seemed both of them were being bold this round, and Avantika's zapped out of existence the moment Audra spoke next. 'You sound so strong.' Avantika's mind buzzed as she stared down at her paws, endlessly thankful that she had fur to cover her blush. "Th-thank you." Audra stumbled through an explanation nervously, and the realization hit her like a slap. Audra liked her. AUDRA LIKED HER! Hell. She couldn't comprehend her own thoughts for a frantically happy moment.

Avantika smiled nervously back at Audra. Something was happening here. She knew that for a fact now. Now if those butterflies in her stomach would quit their shenanigans, she could try to make sure that Audra continued to like her.

She stood up to walk beside Audra. "Sure." Her voice sounded awkward. They walked without speaking for a moment--was it too long? Did Audra think she was boring?--until Avantika asked, "Do--do you like Valhalla?"

"Speech"

It was as if the tension that radiated between them snapped with Avantika's next words. Full bloom of new emotions swirled inside Audra's stomach as her body blazed red hot. She would like to spend more time with her. Now that was something new to her. Tucking her chin slightly as she attempted to hide the blossoming smile on her lips, she wasn't sure how to respond. She wanted to say yes, of course, she'd also love to spend more time with her. But also at the same time, she didn't want to rush anything. Sucking in a deep breath, Audra glanced over her shoulder as Avantika stood up to start their afternoon stroll. Silence hung between them, thick as the fog that circled around them, as Audra's own thoughts shouted in her head. She was ecstatic and happy and overwhelmed. No one had ever taught her what to expect when this sort of thing happened. What was she supposed to do? Act like a love-sick puppy? No, too eager. Too desperate. She couldn't risk her chances. Attempting to focus more on her breathing than worrying (as she did often), an ear swiveled when Avantika questioned her feelings about Valhalla. Audra didn't respond right away. Sure, yes, she did like the pack. They were nice, but then her thoughts were drawn to her conversation with Hattori. The Shogun had been correct. Placing all of her eggs in one basket surely wasn't the way to go. Flicking her tail back and forth nervously a few times, Audra let out another quiet hum in her throat before she chose her words carefully. "I do e-enjoy Valhalla, but I-I have not g-grown close to them." She hoped her words were clear for Avantika to understand. That if Avantika wished her to stay in Auster for a while, she would most likely accept. Of course, she would have to head back to let Aurielle know of her decision, which was only respectful. But her mind flipped back. What if she was rushing into this? What if it was a trap? It surely couldn't be. Unsure and worry fretted in her stomach as she glanced over to Avantika for a moment. "D-do you like the Hallows?" Audra asked quietly as she focused on keeping her paws in a straight line.

Audra didn't answer right away. Did she think it was a weird question? Shush, Avantika, she told herself. Slow down and be patient. If she weren't so nervous, she'd actually really appreciate the way the other woman thought about her words before she spoke. She seemed thoughtful and adorably serious when she did it. She eventually did reply, saying that she enjoyed Valhalla, but she hadn't grown close to them. Avantika was glad about that. If anything was happening here, she didn't want Audra's pack loyalties to conflict with her own pack loyalties. It felt too rushed to think about living together, but it was true that they could only live in one pack. And Avantika wasn't leaving the Hallows.

Audra flipped the question back on her. "They're my family," Avantika said. "I won't--I'll never leave them, I don't think." It felt like everything she said had an underlying meaning behind it. You might leave Valhalla, I won't leave the Hallows, what's our compromise? But it was still their first-ever meeting, so they couldn't say that outright.

"Speech"

Their questions implied heavy implications as Avantika answered her. They really had just met, but somehow their conversation already led to this. Worry fretted her brow as her gaze wandered around their surroundings. Just being near the girl made Audra's skin tingle. For a second, she wanted to reach out and touch her fur, to feel how soft it was, to reassure her that she didn't plan on leaving anytime soon, but it was really much too soon for that. Holding her urges back, Audra nodded softly. Of course, Avantika had strong family ties to her pack and there was no way she was going to leave them behind. Audra understood that and almost felt a tinge of jealousy. Having a family was something she'd always wanted... Unsure of how she should feel, Audra felt maybe they should talk about something more fun. Quite a nervous wreck, she glanced shyly to Avantika. "I-is sparring the o-only thing you like to do for e-entertainment?" Audra asked, genuinely curious about the girl. She wanted to listen to her talk, to the way her paws fell in step with her own, the way their tails swished back and forth, how their breathing was both quiet but quickened. A nervous smile played at her lips as she continued to walk, the moment of her paws the only thing keeping her from doing something stupid.

Avantika hoped that Audra didn't have any plans of running away together. While that would be fun, she had her vows and her duty to serve her pack. They were the most important thing to her. She hoped nothing would ever complicate that devotion.

'I-is sparring the o-only thing you like to do for e-entertainment?' Avantika had to think about that one for longer than she thought was probably good. She got more and more nervous the more she racked her brain. She loved training and sparring. She'd built her life around being good at them. But she had to wonder what she'd given up for them. She didn't have many hobbies; all she did was work and train. But it was good to be skilled, right? "I--I don't really know," she confessed. "I've been a bit of a workaholic. But, you know, I'm always open to new things, so--so what do you like to do?"

"Speech"

For a moment, Audra thought that she may have hurt Avantika's feelings. The quiet that hung between them was obvious. Was that a rude question? Maybe I worded it terribly. Always worrying, she almost sighed in relief when the girl finally responded. Did Avantika sound as nervous as she did? Her response was hopeful and Audra admired that she was a workaholic and enjoyed trying new things. In truth, Audra had been too flighty to really have a job before, but she had been diligent in her herbal studies. Smiling faintly, she let out a nervous giggle. "B-being a workaholic isn't a b-bad thing," Audra chimed, looking over to catch Avantika's gaze. Her heart warmed every time she looked at the girl. It was nice being in her company and getting to know her. Taking in a deep breath, she prepared herself to be honest and share something she hadn't really shared with anyone before. "I-I've been alone most of my life so I s-spend most of my time wandering around Boreas," Audra felt shame at that moment and had to look away. Sure, she'd met other loners before who spent a majority of their time without a pack. Yet, Audra wasn't like that. She wanted to be social. Wanted to belong somewhere and have a purpose. Sighing softly, she shook her head. "You don't want t-to hear my sad back story," she admitted, attempting a half-hearted smile before continuing. "I do enjoy exploring and, and looking for herbs. Discovering and learning is what d-drives me to keep going," Audra's voice was soft, the usual chime dampened by sadness. Shrugging her shoulders in an attempt to wipe away her sourness, she finally brought her gaze back over to Avantika. "I-if I can be an expert healer one day, maybe I-I'll be of some use," she offered slightly more hopeful this time.

Audra giggled. Avantika wasn't sure why, but it was cute as heck anyway. 'B-being a workaholic isn't a b-bad thing,' she said. Avantika agreed, but she wasn't entirely sure. She liked being useful. Maybe the problem wasn't so much that she worked so much, but more that she never felt like she was really deserving of her pack's love and overcompensated by working all the time. Still, this one conversation was showing her how nice it really was to take a little break once in a while. Of course, she'd never let down the Hallows, but maybe she could spend some time just hanging out if they didn't need her for a bit.

'I-I've been alone most of my life so I s-spend most of my time wandering around Boreas,' Audra said, looking away in what looked like embarrassment. A wanderer. By choice or by fate, that seemed interesting. "Find anything cool there?" she asked. Maybe she could ask Audra out on a date there. She smiled nervously just at the thought.

A sad backstory, interest in discovering and learning, a need to feel useful through her work. Avantika chuckled. "I guess we have some things in common. I feel the same way about being a warrior."

"Speech"

Audra perked at the question of finding anything cool. To her, yes it was cool, but to others, maybe not. "I haven't had many chances of exploring north since it's so cold for me, but I did find a place in the south that has black sand! The whole beach was just black sand, was super interesting." She decided not to comment about meeting the Shogun, that wasn't pertinent information for this conversation. Thinking some more, a quiet hum escaped from her. "I came down here because I wanted to know if there was anything cool that wasn't up in Boreas," Audra smiles at Avantika, her eyes sparkling a little. Of course, she had found something cool. Avantika was her name. Her belly twisted again with butterflies as they continued their walk. Audra didn't want it to end or to leave her side. Being in Avantika's company was too nice, too easy. She was calm now, calmer than she had ever felt before. Sighing, she nodded. "Yes, I suppose we do," she said happily, taking a chance to look over at her. "W-would you ever want to show me the Hallows?" Audra's voice hesitated, nervous now as she asked the question. Unsure if this pack would allow a stranger within the borders, she felt hopeful.

Audra described a place in the south of Boreas. A beach with black sand. While that sounded interesting, Avantika had to admit that she was much more focused on the girl's excited face and those eyes. She wasn't much of an explorer herself, so she couldn't really suggest anything. "I wouldn't know, but I'd be happy to go exploring with you." Oh crap, that sounded like an innuendo, didn't it? She hadn't meant it that way, but she flushed and looked down in embarrassment anyway. She didn't know how to flirt!

'W-would you ever want to show me the Hallows?' Audra's voice sounded nervous. Avantika smiled, trying to assuage those worries. "Of course!" Then she hesitated. "You know... if you want to?"

"Speech"